Mark Kelly: Class 8A-7A-6A Defensive Player of the Year

Dwyer senior

December 23, 2013|By Steve Dorsey, Correspondent

Defensive lineman Mark Kelly vowed that he would break the Dwyer sack record before he graduated. Kelly didn't break the record of 16 sacks that current University of Tennessee linebacker Curt Maggitt held. He shattered it, twice.

Kelly was credited with 28 sacks his junior season and nearly matched that this season with 25.5 sacks to go along with the 104 tackles he registered during Dwyer's state championship run.

"We talk and I told [Maggitt] I was going to break his [sacks] record," the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Kelly said. "He was happy for me."

Veteran Dwyer defensive coordinator Bobby Sifrit was consistently in awe of Kelly's performance this season. "He's the real deal," Sifrit said. "He's maybe the best ever at Dwyer. He plays very smart and he's quick for his size."

"He was a two-way player and played every snap at guard, too," Dwyer coach Jack Daniels said. "He's full speed every day."